Abstract

This book explores the apostle Paul’s temple, priesthood, sacrificial, and worship language with a special interest in how metaphors are powerful vehicles for theological transformation. The methodology of this study combines perspectives from cognitive linguistics, the social-sciences, and rhetorical criticism. In the final synthesis, it is discovered that common factors among Paul ’s cultic metaphors include an interest in devotion to God, the significance of the body, and the potential for the reshaping of the mind and perception.